Electric switch attachment for vacuum cleaning devices.



J. J. SLBVIN. ELECTRIC SWITCH ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANING DEVICES.

APPLICATICN FILED 19143.20, 1911. 1,01 5,352.

l Mim Patented Jan.`23,'1912.

i@ M "56727 JM/QQQ UNITED l f s Y .IAMEs J, snEvIN,V or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH ATTACHMENT ECE yVACUUM CLEANING DEVICES.

' of the cleaningimpleinent manually in any To all whom it may concern: i

'Be it known that I, JAM-ns J. SLEviN, @I citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, vrin the city, count'yf and State of New York, 'have` invented an Improvement in Electric Switch vAttachments for Vacuum Cleaning Devices, .of

which the lfollowing isa specification;

My invention .relates to an electric switch attachment for vacuuln cleaning curry-l combs or brushes. y 1

It has heretofore been proposed to cleanse and brush the coat of 4hair "of such animals as horses and cows by a vaccum cleaningy device and brush adapted for use in connection therewith. f

In my application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed February 13, 1911, Serial No. 608,435, I have shown and described a combined curry-comb`and brush of novel form and' construction adapted'for use with a vacuum cleaning device, and in view of the fact that such a large proportion of vacuum cleaningv devices are electrically actuated, I have proposed to' control the electric powerthus employed atandfby the implement 'of my improved combined curry-comb and brush cleaner. V

In carrying out myv invention and in com.u bination with the brush andy curry-comb blades and the holder therefor provided with a slot and a pipeto ,a vacuum cleaning device, I employ an automatically acting electric switch connected to the under side of the holder and placed in the midst of the bristles of the brush or the-blades ofthe curry-comb, or both, andY adaptedwhen the cleaning device is placedmanually against the body of the animal to completegthe cir-y cuit and start the vacuum apparat-us in movyk tion; consequently when the cleaning device is removed the circuit is broken and vthe vacuum cleaning device stopped.

This switch device preferably includesa spring blade `having 'a free end for Contact with the body of the animal and of such form as to be unaffected by the .movement direction, all of which is hereinafter particularly described. v, p p

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view representing a combined Curry-comb and brush slotted and kwith the switch demore serial No, 615;'677.

.vice of my invention .in position. Fig. 2 is vertical central. longitudinal section of the x l specificanoii of Letters Patent. .Patented Jan, 23,19l2, Application ined Marcil eo, 191i.-

same through the slot and withlthe switchA parts and brush in`v elevation, and Figf Yis a section similar to thesecti'on Fig. 2,Lbut in" smaller size andy representing a form' or modification ofmy invention.

Similar' letters and numerals ofreference in the 'respective figures indicate similar parts.

a represents the `brush body o r holder', al

ay central longitudinal slottherethrough, Zi a hollow longitudinal cover secured to onev surface of said body'or`holder a and the latter (cover provided with a neck b1 to which is connected a flexible hose o?. Upon the oppositev surface of the body or holder a I have shown a series of curry-comb blades c secured in lposition parallel with the shortest dimensions of the holder and at right angles to thez longest dimensions, and these are shown as ,located upon oneJ side ofthe slot al, whileon theother side a brush ol is shown composed of tufts of bristles secured 'in the body or holder in any -mannerwellknwn in the art of brush making, :z f,

Referring particularly tol Figs; 1 and 2I have shown a blade c of spring metal with afreel endetrounded and with a short wend 2'; said blade being provided with pivot yokes adapted to connect the same by a ,pivot pin to the yoles 'e2` securedV to the under :surface ofthe body or holder a,

whereby th said,blade e is pivotallycoii-V nected yto the under surfacev of thebodyfor holder a.

lighterweight than the blade L and connected" to 'thesurface of the blade e, nextl t the end 2 in Contact with the bodylor holder a and ythefrt-ie rounded end c1 normally projecting beyond the plane (of the ybristles of the brush d and also-of the surface of 'the curry-comb blades. y Y

the bladec, and g a contact bladefastene'd In connection with this blade I have illustrated a springl 3, preferably of to the under surface of the body 'oriliolder `l o; therek being a 'slidingjfunction between said partsfor the blade f over the outer sui"-- face-ofthe blade g. These blades fand 1g, f

. i001 f represents a contact blade fastened to are insulated from their respective supports and the electric Wires 4 5 shown are connected to these blades f g.- I have shown these electric Wires as extending outside of the body or holder a and as lying parallel With the flexible hose .792, but in use these electric Wires Will probably be insulated and pass through the body or holder a and extend along the flexible hose b2 in a suitable cover provided therefor, so that the Wires Will be out of the Way and will not be separated from the device as it is manually actuated as a Whole.

In the form of my invention shown 1n Fig. 3, 71, represents a spring switch blade connected by the screws or rivets 6 to the under surface of the body or holder a 1n very much the same position as the blade e hereinbefore described. This has a rounded end h1 also projecting beyond the plane of the bristles forming the brush or o f the curry-comb blades or both. This spring 7b is provided With a contact blade f1 and the body or holder a With a contact blade g1 from Which the electricwires 4 5 extend, and the description hereinbefore made With reference to theV location of the electric Wires in connection With Figs. 1 and 2, applies with equal force and effect to the electric Wires shown in Fig. 3.

The device of my' improvement is to be taken in the hand of the operator and While the free ends of the respective contact blades shown and described are normally separated, they are at once brought into contact by the resting of the brush or curry-comb, or both, upon the back of the animal to be groomed, Which completes the circuit and starts in operation the motor of the electric cleaning device so that the cleaning device is made effective by the current of air that is drawn in through the slot al, cover b, neck b1 and hose b2 to a suitable receptacle to be provided therefor, and this connected current is maintained so long as the cleaning device bears upon the body of the animal and also regardless of the pressure that may be manually applied to the cleaning implement, because the circuit is maintained regardless of the spring action or the force applied because the spring members all yield to pressure and keep in contact so long as pressure is maintained and the cleaning operation in force; said parts at once separating and breaking the circuit When the implement is lifted aWay from the body of the animal.

While the rounded end e1 of the blade e and the rounded end h1 of the blade L are bot-h adapted `to bear upon the body of the animal being cleaned and thereby in the use of the implement to be moved to complete the circuit and to be in the same plane With the body of bristles or the curry-comb blades or both in use, I do not limit my invention to making the blades e and 7L with such rounded integral ends as it is quite apparent that some other and equivalent end for said blades could be employed having a like function and as equally operative.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vacuum cleaning and electric power controlled device for cleaning animals, comprising a foundation of suitable material to be held in the hand, provided with a slot, cleaning members connected to one surface thereof and an intake nozzle connected to the other side of the foundation over the slot and adapted for connection with the flexible hose, and a switch structure connected to the foundation or holder and placed in the midst of the cleaning devices and adapted to complete the electric circuit upon contact with the surface to be cleaned, and electric Wires passing along the flexible hose to the source of power.

2. A vacuum cleaning and electric power controlled device for cleaning animals, comprising a foundation or holder of suitable material to be held in the hand, provided with a slot and intake nozzle connected to the one side of the foundation over the slot and a flexible hose therefrom to a vacuum cleaning device, cleaning members connected to the other side of the foundation, a metal blade secured to the same side of the foundation in the midst of the cleaning devices, a rounded end thereto adapted to rest upon the body of the animal being cleaned, contact members for completing an electrical circuit connected respectively to said blade and said foundation or holder, and elect-ric Wires from the said contact blades extending along the flexible hose to the source of electric energy for controlling the power with the application of the cleaning device to the body of the animal.

3. A vacuum cleaning and electric power controlled device for cleaning animals, comprising a foundation or holder of suitable material to be held inthe hand, provided With a slot and intake nozzle connected to one side of the foundation over the slot and a flexible hose extending therefrom to a vacuum cleaning device, a series of bristles forming a brush member connected to the other side of the foundation or holder 0n one side of the slot and spaced therefrom, a series of curry-comb blades secured to the same side of the foundation or holder and upon the other side of the slot, a blade of metal connected to the foundation in the midst of the cleaning devices and along one side of the slot on Which the bristles are spaced, and said blade having a rounded free end adapted to rest against the body of the animal being cleaned, a contact blade secured to the aforesaid blade and an electric wire therefrom, a second contact blade co-acting therewith and secured to the under surface of the foundation oriholderlajnd Signed by me this 14th dey of Marh an electric Wire therefrom, whereby when 1911. z the rounded end of the blade is brought into Contact With the body of the animal to JAMES J' SLEVIN' be cleaned, the eleetrio'eirouit is completed Witnesses:

GEO! T. PINCKNEY, E. ZACHARIASEN.-V

and the source of power yset in motion sub stantially as described'. v

Copies of this patent may be obtained forlve cents each, by ddressing the "K" Coknnlissionerof Patents.

' Washington, D, C. y 

